In Death, 9-Year-Old Keeps Inspiration Alive

Everybody who knew 9-year-old Rachel Beckwith will agree: she was a source of inspiration and generosity. Before Rachel died in July during a car crash in Bellevue, Washington, she had asked friends and family to donate money to bring clean water to help children in an African village. After her death, word quickly spread about her birthday wish, and the result was that the charitable agency involved, charity: water, received over $1.2 million in donations.

But the story of Rachel's legacy doesn't end here. Just a few days ago, an Oakland man came forward to say that Rachel saved his life, too. The man would have died of kidney failure had he not received a kidney transplant last July. After being told about the circumstances around his donor's death, he realized it was 9-year-old Rachel who saved his life.